It's Been Years
by asteristar
Summary: AU – Another ‘Anna lives’ fic, but different. Anna goes off to distract the remaining bride, and goes missing. Carl injects the antidote, and he and Van Helsing return to Rome. What happens when years later, Anna and Gabriel meet? Rating to be safe.
1. Disappearing Act

It's Been Years

Summary: AU – Another 'Anna lives' fic, but different. Anna goes off to distract the remaining bride, and goes missing. Carl injects the antidote, and he and Van Helsing return to Rome. What happens when years later, Anna and Gabriel meet?

A/N: I'm going back a bit, to close to the end of the movie. Sorry if the lines are not exactly like the movie, I can't remember. RR please!

**Chapter One**

_Disappearing Act_

Anna's eyes blazed furiously. This man, this Gabriel Van Helsing, thought he could just waltz into Vaseria and take control. _Actually, _Anna thought wryly, _I doubt a man like him can waltz very well_. After a few seconds of watching Van Helsing, evaluating his waltzing ability, Anna mentally slapped herself. This was not the time. In fact, there would never be a time. Simply because Gabriel was, in a word, infuriating.

As soon as he was finished speaking, and as soon as Carl had taken a few steps away from them, she grabbed his arm and drew him aside. "You still don't understand," she hissed angrily. "It doesn't matter what happens to me. We must save my family." Confident that she had instilled this lesson in him, she started to leave, and was startled to find his hand gripping her arm, keeping her in front of him. She was confused when his hand did not leave her upper arm.

"If you're late," he said gravely, "run like hell." It was not something she needed reminding of. A vampire and a werewolf in the same room? She would run faster than she ever had before. She nodded quickly, and tried to leave again. His hand kept her there, and she looked up at him with inquisitive eyes. What more could he want?

"Don't be late," he said in a slightly laughing voice. She felt her anger dissipate. The man was willing to risk his life for her. For her family. That should count for something. She smiled briefly, and was about to leave, when she saw something in his face. It was the barely remembered look her father had watched her mother with so often. His eyes were calm, content, and a half smile graced his face. All of which screamed something she didn't recognize, didn't want to recognize. Her mind told her that now was the time to leave, that she should get away now while she still could. And her heart? It spoke what she deemed nonsense, telling her that this was her chance, but not the chance to leave. It was the chance to stay.

Yet her father had told her to follow her heart, and so follow her heart she did. Leaning up, she placed her hand behind his neck and brought his mouth down to hers. She felt his body stiffen, and slowly relax. He was afraid, she realized. Afraid of starting something he wouldn't be able to finish. She was too, but she hadn't let it stop her. And he didn't mean for his fear to stop him either. Almost immediately, his mouth reacted, and his hand moved to the small of her back, pulling her close.

The kiss lasted for what seemed like forever to Anna, but in reality, it was over in seconds. Their eyes met, and Anna readied herself for the inevitable parting words.

"Now go," he whispered, "go, go!"

She broke free from his arms and ran, sprinting to catch up with Carl. As she rounded a corner, though, she felt the heel of her left boot snap, and she tumbled forward. Anna growled in frustration, looking back from her sprawled position on the floor to see the heel of her boot lying a few feet behind her. Cursing under her breath, she started to get up. Gabriel thought she would be going with Carl. But she could not risk it. One bride remained, unless she was mistaken. She had to find Aleera. She had to distract the vampire. She could not afford to give Dracula the chance for assistance.

Once she was on her feet, however, she froze. Behind her, she heard the soft beating of wings, and a low hissing. Eyes wide with an uneasy fear, Anna turned around.

"Hello, Anna," came an accented, oily voice from somewhere above her. Anna closed her eyes, defeat seeping through her for the first time in her life.

"Hello, Aleera," she replied in a broken voice.

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The large werewolf looked utterly surprised as the body of Dracula disintegrated in front of him. The wolf's slightly intelligent brain was still contemplating this phenomenon when a painful pinch invaded his senses. He reached behind him, and plucked out a needle from his back. With a roar of anger, the wolf whirled to see a friar huddled in a corner screaming something he could not understand.

The werewolf suddenly felt something change in him, and a suppressed part of him began to grow. The words the friar was screaming began to make sense. And the friar was not just any friar – it was Carl.

"No, Van Helsing! Don't hurt me! Please, don't hurt me! I'm just a friar, a poor lonely friar! That needle in your back has nothing to do with me, nothing, I promise!"

Gabriel chuckled. "I won't hurt you, Carl."

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Carl raised his head, and rose from his uncomfortable position when he saw a ragged Gabriel Van Helsing standing in front of him.

"Van Helsing! Is it gone? Is the vampire really dead?" Carl asked fervently. He certainly hoped so. He didn't think he could take much more of this monster fighting. There was a reason he was friar, after all.

The man in front of him examined his surroundings and nodded slowly. "I think so, Carl." There was a moment of silence, relief rushing through both of them. And then, Van Helsing's eyes widened and his stance shifted.

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Gabriel's heart was ripping through his chest, pounding out a beat that was egged on by fear.

"Carl," he called harshly. "Where is Anna?" His voice was calm, but underneath was an underlying thread of fear and urgency.

The timid friar shrugged indifferently. "I thought she was with you." He paused, watching Gabriel. "She wasn't with you?" Carl asked warily. Gabriel shook his head grimly. He should have known. Anna would be one to run off by herself. He moved quickly out of the room, hurrying back to where Anna had left him. Carl followed behind, carrying a torch to light the way.

As they reached the landing, Gabriel examined the ground for Anna's tracks in the dust. They were distinct, heeled boots that were smaller than his or Carl's. It did not take him long to find a set of her footprints, and they followed Carl's around the corner. It was there they stopped, and there was a large area of scuffed tracks and dust that had been thrown around. Gabriel's heart skipped a beat. Anna. Where was she?

"Van Helsing!" He turned around to see Carl with something clutched in his hand. He approached, and took the object in his hand. It was not something he recognized, but Carl knew.

"It's the heel of Anna's boot," Carl explained. Gabriel raised his eyebrows, worry forgotten.

"And how would you know that, Carl? You're a friar!"

Carl blushed. "Shouldn't we find Anna?" he asked quickly. Gabriel nodded. The teasing could wait until they found Anna. But as they followed her tracks, Gabriel became more and more worried. It was just one big blur, up until an intersection of two hallways. Carl's tracks took the left fork. Anna's stopped all together, ending in the faint outline of a body sprawled on the ground. It was Anna, Gabriel could tell. There was a boot print in the middle of the place where the body had lain, and a distorted on next to it. Anna had managed to get up, and apparently, turn around. But the tracks ended there.

"A Bride," Gabriel heard himself say. That was the only explanation.

"She was armed, though," Carl said hopefully. Gabriel shook his head.

"Against a Bride, with no warning? It makes no difference." Especially with her cross lying near the wall, feet away from where she must have stood last. The cross was the thing that had soothed his worry. Bound on a chain around her neck, no vampire would have seen it until the last possible moment. But it had not saved her.

"Well, Carl," he said in what he hoped was a calm voice, "we must return to Rome."

"What shall we tell them?" Carl asked.

"The truth," Gabriel replied. "That while we were able to kill Dracula, we could not save the Valerious family."

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Anna came to, slowly, agonizingly. She lay in a warm bed, covered with blankets. Dim shapes of people sat by her, and as her vision cleared, she realized that she did not recognize any of them.

She coughed painfully, her throat raw. One of the women by her bed hurried over to her, concern etched on her features.

"How are you feeling, miss?"

Anna wondered for a minute who the lady was talking to, and then understood that the woman was addressing her.

"I'll be alright in time, thank you." She paused, and then looked the woman straight in the eye, her voice ringing out clearly. "Where am I?"


	2. Anna in Paris

It's Been Years

Summary: AU – Another 'Anna lives' fic, but different. Anna goes off to distract the remaining bride, and goes missing. Carl injects the antidote, and he and Van Helsing return to Rome. What happens when years later, Anna and Gabriel meet?

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. I am a pauper. And I am deperessed because of this.

A/N: Thanks for the great reviews. This will be a slow story, since school has started up again. And I know, Anna would probably not survive a fall like the one she survives in the story, but it's for fan fiction's sake. :D

**Chapter Two**

_Anna in France_

Anna's POV_  
_

Anna waited patiently for the woman to answer her question. Finally, the woman sat down next to her and spoke softly.

"You're in Paris."

Anna froze. Paris? That was hundreds, if not thousands of miles from Transylvania. And she'd never been out of her village in her life, before this. She racked her brain, trying to remember what had happened, but her memory became hazy around after she had found Aleera. And Gabriel? Where was he? Had the antidote worked?

"What happened?" she asked quickly.

"My brother was on his way back to Paris when he came across the body of a young woman washed up on the shore of a river. You had suffered damage from a fall from great heights. He brought you back here, to treat your injuries and help you wake from your coma."

Anna frowned. Great heights? Aleera would never have let her go, but the Bride had apparently dropped Anna above a river. That meant that Gabriel must have killed Dracula. Aleera would have died as well, leaving Anna to fall hundreds of feet into the river.

"Have you heard any news since then?" she asked, desperately hoping for word of Gabriel and Carl.

The woman nodded, smiling. "Yes. They say that Van Helsing committed another murder and got away with it. My brother heard that he was passing through Transylvania not too long ago."

Anna relaxed. He was alive. And while she had hoped it would end differently, she would not change the way things were. Now, she had to make a life for herself. Away from Gabriel Van Helsing and the rest of his world.

"What is your name?" the woman in front of her asked.

She paused. What could she say? The Valerious name was well known, even here in Paris.

"Maria," she said softly. "Maria Lazarus."

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Gabriel's POV

Gabriel stood in the center of the largest church in the Vatican, looking up at the large painting of the twelve apostles. Anna was dead. And he had nothing left, save the Order. Save the city of Rome. And so, with a heavy heart, Gabriel let go of hope.

Anna was not coming back. All he could do was carry on, and wait for the day when he would see her again. For Anna had said there was a brighter side of death. She had said that you only needed to look hard, to think clearly, to see it. Before, his eyes had been clouded by doubt. He had been blind to the hope that lay in death. But now, now he could see it.

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A/N: This chapter is REALLY short. It's just a filler. I'll get it going again really, soon, I promise. Now that Anna has her new name, things can start to happen! YAY!


	3. Paris? Again?

It's Been Years

Summary: AU – Another 'Anna lives' fic, but different. Anna goes off to distract the remaining bride, and goes missing. Carl injects the antidote, and he and Van Helsing return to Rome. What happens when years later, Anna and Gabriel meet?

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. I am a pauper. And I am depressed because of this.

A/N: So sorry for the long wait. I'll try to keep things moving.

**Chapter Three**

_Paris? Again?_

_Years Later…_

Gabriel Van Helsing walked down the set of stairs that led to the Order's headquarters underneath the church in the Vatican. He had just come back from a mission somewhere in the Nordic regions and was exhausted. But, knowing the Cardinal, that wouldn't count for much. He sighed lightly as he followed the Cardinal to a clear space among the rushing madness that was the Order. Things appeared to be the same, as they had always been. Yet for Gabriel, they had started to be different years ago.

In the years after her death, Gabriel had become a changed man. The wintry and distant man others had known before the Transylvanian mission returned, but instead of cold grey eyes and a walled heart, his eyes were clear and sad, and his heart was no longer walled, but broken. The change was visible in his voice, as well. Sterner than before, it broke occasionally, reminding those around him that he was as human as they.

As Gabriel moved into his customary position behind the projector, he couldn't help but remember the first time he had seen her. A posed picture, her defiant dark eyes staring out at him, black waves spilling down to frame her face. Anna Valerious.

"Gabriel!" The Cardinal's sharp voice jerked him out of his reverie.

"Yes?" he replied. As he met the Cardinal's gaze, he was surprised to see something that looked like pity in the older man's eyes. But as the other man blinked, it disappeared, and in it's place came disapproval.

"You've just returned from Norway, was it?" Gabriel nodded, and the Cardinal continued. "Well, we are now sending you to Paris."

Gabriel frowned. Paris? Again? What could he possibly do there that he hadn't already? "Why, sir?" he asked.

The Cardinal adjusted the projector, and a blurry photograph appeared on the panel in front of them. The picture was of a young woman, masked and cloaked. She stood in the middle of a dark street, looking back at the photographer with an angry expression. In one of her gloved hands, she carried a fencing blade that seemed to be held out, warning the photographer not to come nearer. Clearly, the woman had been avoiding the camera.

"This young woman," the Cardinal said, "has been doing work in Paris. We're not sure whether she's a rogue hunter, one who left the Order years ago, or whether she's someone we should be hunting ourselves. Gabriel, you must bring this woman back to Rome. Alive!" reminded the Cardinal.

Gabriel nodded, and began to collect his weapons. Since his adversary was just a woman, he decided to pack light, only bringing with him the essentials. This mission was going to be one of the easiest yet.

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Maria moved quickly and silently through the streets and alleys of Paris. She was returning to the house she shared with Lara, the woman who had found her, and Lara's brother Michael. During the day, she defied society and worked in a blacksmith's shop. But at night, she donned her black mask and strode the streets of Paris, keeping evil at bay.

In the years since her arrival, the memories of Anna became precious antiques, mementoes of a life she no longer led. So she had stored everything to do with Anna in the back of her mind, and sometimes, late at night, she would stare out the window of her house and simply remember.

She now lived without fear. Or, she almost lived without fear. For there was one thing she was afraid of, and that was Gabriel Van Helsing. Gabriel was the one part of her former life that she couldn't put away. The one part of Anna that she couldn't let go of. And that scared her. So the more accurate thing to say would be that she lived in constant fear – the fear that he would suddenly appear and ruin everything she'd worked so hard to build.

Just a few weeks ago, she'd been caught by some young man with a camera. That picture would probably go to the authorities. She smiled slightly. She'd become like Gabriel, in so many ways.

Carefully, she entered the house and made her way up the stairs. Just another night in Paris.

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The one thing Gabriel was worried about was finding her. He had no name to go by, and he didn't know where she'd be. Night was the best time to look for her, he knew, but Paris was a large city. He'd asked the Cardinal for any other information, but apparently, the picture and rumors were all they had to go on. So he was on his own, trying to find a woman who, by all appearances, didn't ever want to be found.

He sat on the window seat in his seedy hotel, watching as the sky slowly darkened. Soon, it would be time to begin the search for the rogue hunter.

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Maria sat on the window seat in her fancy house, watching as the sky slowly darkened. Soon, it would be time to begin her nightly patrol.


	4. Gabriel Unmasked

It's Been Years

Summary: AU – Another 'Anna lives' fic, but different. Anna goes off to distract the remaining bride, and goes missing. Carl injects the antidote, and he and Van Helsing return to Rome. What happens when years later, Anna and Gabriel meet?

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. I am a pauper. And I am depressed because of this.

A/N: Sorry if this chapter sucks. I have not been inspired, lately.

**Chapter Four**

_Gabriel Unmasked_

Night fell in the large city of Paris. And in two places in the sleeping city, two people strode out their doors and disappeared into the night. One, a woman, glanced up at the cloud-covered moon and smiled slightly. The other, a man, frowned and cursed softly. A dark night was a blessing for one and a curse for the other.

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Maria stood at the foot of the altar in a small church near the center of the city. The church was dimly lit, candles burning slowly as the air thickened with the fumes of burning herbs. She breathed in deeply, allowing the heavy, spicy smell of the plants to fill her lungs. In the sense of peace and clarity that followed, Maria heard the rusty latch on the double doors rattle, and stiffened slightly as she heard boots scuff lightly on the floor. Someone was here.

Because the doors were in a small alcove, the intruder would not see her directly. She took this brief space of time to ready herself for anything that might appear, be it man or monster. She flexed her fingers, cocking her wrist and moving her left hand closer to her right hip, where the hilt of her sword waited. She shifted slowly, a tiny movement that only a blademaster would notice, so that all her weight was on her right foot.

Beware the foe that entered here.

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Gabriel carefully entered the church, removing his hat out of respect for the holy place. The air was heavier here, and in the stifling silence he could hear somebody breathing. Not the quick, short breaths of a churchgoer, but the deep, practiced breaths of a priest. Actually, now that he thought about it, they were also the breaths that a hunter preparing for battle might take. He smirked. He had found her. Rounding the corner, Gabriel's eyes narrowed.

His quarry stood before the altar, her stance proud and combative. In the wavering firelight, he could just make out the silhouette of a sword strapped to her hip. She was poised, waiting. But for what, he couldn't tell.

Being as silent as he could be, he moved forward until he was a few feet away from her. Carefully, he formed his chosen words in his head and spoke.

His voice was soft, almost friendly, but with an underlying edge that warned the hearer. "Who are you?"

He had expected her to jump, to make some sort of noise, but she didn't. She remained stock-still. The only reason he was sure she had heard was the momentary movement of her fingers. She had contracted them slightly, and he knew immediately that this would be far from easy.

"Someone worth leaving alone," came the reply. The dark-haired woman's voice was strong and commanding, but also young and undoubtedly feminine. He smiled slightly at her defiant and clever response. If he could get her to turn around, he would know for certain whether he hunted her or not.

"Turn around," he said firmly. And she did.

In a quick, fluid motion, she whirled to face him, her hand grasping the hilt of her fencing blade and whipping it out of the scabbard. Like a viper's tongue, the sword tip streaked forward, stopping centimeters from his throat.

Her face, cast in shadow, looked to have proud, strong features, and in the orange light, he could see the glimmer of her dark eyes. And while his body remained alert and on edge, his mind drifted back to another place where a similar woman had glared at him and ordered his death. Which, of course, had been promptly forestalled by the arrival of the Brides.

The feel of cold metal against his skin brought him back to the present. The woman in front of him had tossed her cloak onto a pew and was now giving him a challenging stare. She wanted a challenge? Well, he would give her one.

He brought his hand up quickly, knocking the blade from his throat and sending her stumbling back a few steps. Using his gained momentum, he crashed his fist into her cheek and jaw. Her entire torso seemed to twist to one side, but her feet, firmly planted, didn't move. She turned to face him, gloved hand slowly wiping the blood from her mouth. Then, without warning, her left foot hooked around his ankles and pulled hard, jerking his feet out from under him.

She smiled, a feral look in her eyes. It had begun.

Gabriel scrambled to his feet, unsheathing his own sword in a motion only slightly slower than hers. She had allowed him time to rise, but no longer. With no vestige of reluctance, she brought her blade down hard on his, sending shockwaves through the steel down to his hands.

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Maria looked past the crossed blades at the man, and their eyes met. He looked familiar, sounded familiar, and now, as he stared at her, she felt something drop in her stomach. A question rose in her head, riding on waves of doubt. But as he began his counterattack, she forced it out of her head.

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Minutes later, Gabriel found himself breathing hard. She was a match for him, pushing him closer to the brink of loss than he had ever been. It seemed that she had fought him before, because anything he did, she was there to stop him.

When he finally felt that he would collapse soon, she paused. There was a moment of taut silence, and she saw what he had known for a while now. She had won.

With a quick flick of the wrist, she disarmed him and caught the blade spinning through the air in her right hand. Planting her leg behind him, she gave him a push with her elbow and he toppled over backwards, landing on a patch of floor illuminated by the candlelight.

The woman moved forward and placed both blades to his throat. And then suddenly, her eyes widened and she stumbled backwards, hands going limp and swords falling to the floor. He pushed himself up, bewildered.

"Oh God," she cried softly. "What have I done?"


	5. It's Been Years

It's Been Years

Summary: AU – Another 'Anna lives' fic, but different. Anna goes off to distract the remaining bride, and goes missing. Carl injects the antidote, and he and Van Helsing return to Rome. What happens when years later, Anna and Gabriel meet?

Disclaimer: Nothing belongs to me. I am a pauper. And I am depressed because of this.

A/N: Right, this is the chapter that reality people would call 'The Reveal'. And thank you so much to all my reviewers! You guys are so awesome, and I'm so glad you like my story!

**Chapter Five **

_It's Been Years_

PREVIOUSLY:

The woman moved forward and placed both blades to his throat. And then suddenly, her eyes widened and she stumbled backwards, hands going limp and swords falling to the floor. He pushed himself up, bewildered.

"Oh God," she cried softly. "What have I done?"

* * *

Maria stood pressed up against the wall of the church, her heart in her throat. He was here. Now, right in front of her. And there was nothing she could do to make him go away. Anna was surfacing in her, and the part of her that remained Maria was helpless against the assault. 

It had been so long – _so long_ – and now, seeing him again, she could say nothing. If she had been braver, none of this would have happened. He would be lying on the floor dead. But she was afraid. She was a coward. By rights, she should have hated him for leaving her for dead.

But, God, she loved him.

* * *

Gabriel scrambled to his feet, utterly confused. Her voice had stirred something in him, something he hadn't felt since Anna's death. If he hadn't known better, he would have sworn that his quarry and Anna were one and the same, but her voice was slightly less Romanian and slightly more French. 

"Who are you?" he asked again, remembering her previous response and hoping this one would not be the same.

The woman simply looked at him, and then slowly, carefully, stepped into a pool of candlelight. His heart skipped a beat.

"It's been years, Gabriel."

* * *

Anna watched him, a smile ghosting across her lips as she noticed her cross hanging around his neck. Of all the men she had ever known, he was different. And he clearly didn't understand what was happening.

"I said, who are you?" he shouted at her. She sighed in exasperation. Of all people, he should trust her. Though there was the fact that he had been hunting deceptive monsters for years now. That might change his mentality.

"Anna Valerious," she replied, speaking with authority and decisiveness.

* * *

Gabriel felt a pit form in his stomach. He wanted to believe this woman, wanted to know that Anna was alive. His heart had leapt at the sight of her, recognizing the woman he had loved for years. But his mind screamed in doubt. And unlike Anna, Gabriel had always listened to his head. 

"No. She's dead."

The woman tossed her head angrily, dark hair flying over her shoulder only to fall back into its original placement.

"Aleera may have found me, but I am most certainly not dead." Gabriel smiled slightly. That sounded like something Anna would say. He stepped closer to her.

"Anna lost something the day she died – or disappeared, I suppose. What was it?" He waited with bated breath. This was the deciding moment. Only Anna would know the answer.

"I lost two things, Gabriel." She smiled at him, and Gabriel felt his doubt begin to seep away. She had been beautiful – was still beautiful. "The heel of my boot, and that cross," she said, stepping closer so that she was less than a foot from him. She reached out with her left hand, using her finger to trace the intricate designs on the cross.

Gabriel's breath caught in his throat. It was her. She was standing so close to him. Alive.

He threw his arms around her, crushing her to him, burying his face in her hair. She smelled the same, a mixture of flowers and steel that somehow combined to make the scent of Heaven. And she felt the same as she had that night years ago, when he had held her in his arms. Anna.

* * *

Anna felt his arms close around her, and then felt the air escape quickly from her lungs as she was pressed tightly against him. Not that she minded. To be so near him after so long was what she had dreamed of ever since she had learned he had survived. 

When he pulled away, Anna frowned slightly. It was too soon. She wanted to stay close to him, needed to be near him. But he, apparently, needed clarification. He needed answers. He held her out at arm's length, keeping his hands on her shoulders.

"Anna." His voice was firm, the kind he would use to speak to a child who had told some strange story that seemed to be true.

"Yes."

"You're here." It was not a question, just a statement. She still felt the need to clarify.

"Yes."

"How?"

Anna sighed. "Aleera flew me out of the castle and was over a river when you killed Dracula. Aleera turned to dust, and I fell. But then Lara's brother found me and brought me to Paris and I've been living here as Maria Lazarus. Blacksmith by day, monster hunter by night."

"Monster hunter?"

"Yes."

She felt her heart leap as Gabriel smiled, and felt like a giddy fool immediately thereafter.

"I was sent to Paris to bring you back to Rome. Or kill you." He said this in a nonchalant tone of voice. _Because, naturally, it's one or the other_, Anna thought sarcastically.

"I vote for the bringing-back-to-Rome option," she cut in with a hopeful smile.

And suddenly, there was silence.

* * *

This silence was not the kind that precedes the coming of evil. It was the silence of a revelation of the part of one person, the kind of revelation that the other person has no knowledge of.

This sudden understanding was on the part of Gabriel. He stood there looking at the beautiful woman in front of him and suddenly realized that there were three years between them. And he couldn't find the words to tell her.

* * *

Anna, while extremely stubborn, was also extremely perceptive. And as Gabriel's eyes changed from ecstatic to despairing, she knew. 

He was leaving. There was too much unsaid, too much that had passed that they could not explain. So he was going back to Rome, presumably to tell the Order that Maria Lazarus was dead. And, as Anna, she would continue on her way, with a heavy heart.

* * *

Gabriel watched as Anna began to understand. He braced himself for the inevitable rage that would come. But it never did. 

"It's all right, Gabriel," she said softly, her eyes sad. "I understand." She turned to leave, gathering her sword and cloak, preparing to venture out into the night, away from Paris.

"I'm sorry, Anna," he said quietly. She did not answer, but strode to the doors purposefully. "You don't hate me, do you?" he asked before he could stop himself.

She paused, her hand on the door, and then she turned to face him, a half smile gracing her lips.

"I could never hate you," she answered. "I can only forgive you."

And Gabriel's heart broke silently.

* * *

Anna moved quickly through the darkness, her eyes dark with sorrow. 

It had to get darker before it got lighter.

A/N: Angst comes before fluff. Though it will probably not get very fluffy. Will be Gabriel/Anna soon, I promise.


	6. Back to Vaseria

It's Been Years

Disclaimer: I own Abram. And nothing else.

A/N: It will take a little while for it to be G/A, guys, but patience is a virtue! I introduce an OC in this chapter. He's a plot device, nothing more, and he'll help get Anna and Gabriel together.

**Chapter Six**

_Back to Vaseria_

Anna sat up straighter in her saddle, feeling her horse shift underneath her. She had not expected to stay in Paris, but nothing could have prepared her for her sudden decision. She was going back, after three years of staying away. She was going home.

While part of her looked forward to it, most of her was dreading her return to Vaseria. There were so many memories there, and no one to help ease the pain. Everyone who might have done so was gone – Velkan, her father. And now Gabriel.

She shook herself. She'd convinced herself that she was fine with his leaving. And she was. Or, she would be soon. Some things were hard to forget. The way his voice sounded when he said her name. The way her heart flipped when he smiled. The way he had looked her in the eye and let her go.

All this had introduced an idea to her, one that Velkan would have deemed silly. But Velkan was dead, and so the idea grew, morphing into Anna's reality. The idea that she wasn't good enough became her mantra in a matter of days. And Gabriel was to blame.

But, granted, so was she. Because no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't stay mad at him. She'd told him the truth – that she didn't hate him – but she had left out the part where she felt her world shatter as she stepped through the church doors.

So she was going back, back to the beginning. To try to make sense of everything. To try to find purpose. If that even existed.

Anna passed through the large wrought-iron gates that walled Vaseria off from the rest of Transylvania. And as she looked up at the large manor that belonged to her family, she felt the icy hand of pain clutch at her heart. This was it. She was home.

And so was somebody else. For in one of the windows stood a young man, watching the village proceedings below. Anna ground her teeth together. She was the last of the Valerious, and therefore the rightful occupant of that manor. After her 'death', it should have remained empty. But some fool had chosen to move in, and he would pay the price.

She urged her horse onwards, barely stopping to dismount and hand the horse's reins to a groom before rushing up the steps to the front door. Knocking firmly, she saw the door open slightly and aided it with her arm, shoving it inwards. The maid who had come to open the door was surprised, and so unable to stop Anna from sweeping into the house and up a set of stairs toward the intruder.

Reaching the door, she was intercepted by a maid.

"Excuse me, miss, but you can't go in there."

Anna felt her face heat up, and knew that her eyes were flashing with rage. Leaning forward, she spoke, and her voice was dangerously soft. "I'm Anna Valerious, and I'll go wherever the hell I please."

This startled the mild-mannered servant enough to stun her into silence and stillness. Anna brushed past, and shouldered the door open. Her momentum carried her a few steps forward, and she made no effort to disguise her entrance.

The intruder turned, confusion and frustration all but written on his face, and stopped short at the sight of Anna. He was a tall young man, brown hair curling just under his ears. His eyes were the dark color of a true Transylvanian, and by the coat he wore that was embroidered with thorny roses, he was a member of the Cederion family. She frowned slightly. Her family had lived in this manor for centuries – somehow, it didn't seem fitting for another family to just waltz in and take charge.

She smiled wryly to herself. She had thought the same thing about Gabriel. And look where that had led her. It took her a few moments to register that the young man had asked her a question, but once she jerked herself out of her Gabriel-induced daydream, she told him in a firm, clear voice, exactly who she was. The look on his face was priceless. Anna couldn't help herself, and grinned.

"But you can't be," he said softly. "She's dead. Killed by Van Helsing."

At his words, something in Anna snapped. She moved towards him in a quick, fluid motion. Hooking her foot around his ankles, she pulled hard and sent him crashing to the floor. As he fell, she glanced to her right and saw the dull glint of an ornamental letter opener shaped as a sword. Without a second thought, she snatched it up, and twirling it dangerously in her left hand, she placed one of her boots on his chest, holding him on the floor. In the same movement, the hand holding the letter opener darted forward to hold the tarnished blade against his throat. He stared up at her, eyes wide, and she matched his gaze with a burning intensity.

"I do not like being told I'm dead," she told him in a light tone. "Especially when it's not true. And especially when my supposed killer had nothing to do with my supposed death. My disappearance from Vaseria was caused by Dracula and none other."

Tossing the letter opener onto a nearby table, she lifted her boot from his chest and turned away, idly brushing off her coat.

"Well," he said as he rose, "I guess that settles things. I'm Abram Cederion. Welcome back, Anna."

She didn't turn, or even acknowledge him. She concentrated on where she was, reveling in the comfort that home brought. And yet, there was a hollowness inside her, an empty place that she knew nothing could fill. Save one man.

Mentally slapping herself, she brushed a stray lock of hair back from her eyes and sighed lightly. She refused to be a simpering coward of a woman who fell apart just because she didn't have everything she wanted. By the look of things, however, she was well on her way to becoming just that.

"My house," she said suddenly, turning to look at him once more. "What had you done with it? Have you changed it?" There was a note of panic in her voice, one that she was sure he had heard. She winced inwardly. Now was not the time to break down.

"It's mostly the same. A few touches here and there, but I felt it would be disrespectful to change it all."

She nodded acceptingly, and her eyes became almost pleading. "Show me?" she asked quietly. He smiled slightly, and led her out of the room.

The house looked the same, and it was comforting, in a heart-breaking way. Anna laughed softly to herself at the irony. Abram looked over at her with a questioning look, but she gave him a secretive smile, and continued walking. By the time they reached the large hall in the center of the house, Anna had relived most of her life simply by entering a room. The large hall, however, brought back a flood of memories.

It remained exactly as she had left it, rows of swords lining the walls, piles of stakes scattered across tables, jars of holy water grouped together by the window, lanterns lined up neatly in rows of five on a desk. She moved slowly through the dusty items, letting her fingers trail over them, tracing patterns time had woven. Standing in the center of the room, she folded her arms around herself, closing her eyes and breathing in the scent she so often associated with home.

Abram cleared his throat softly, and she opened her eyes, glaring daggers at him for interrupting her return. She took a few more moments to bask in the glow of comfort she found here, but moved on quickly thereafter.

It was soon settled that Abram would remain in the house with her, keeping her company in the large and lonely house. She was content with their arrangement, though she made it clear that she did not expect him to follow her around, acting as a body-guard.

Days would go by, spent in an idle and peaceful fashion. Since the death of Dracula, few monsters had dared venture near Vaseria. And in the strange calm, Anna started forgetting. Things slipped her mind, and when asked about Gabriel Van Helsing, she found herself telling the basics, never mentioning or alluding to their almost-love. And she liked it that way.

But all things have to change eventually.

A/N: Next chapter will have some Anna/Abram. Brace yourselves.


	7. Choices Made Difficult

It's Been Years

Disclaimer: I own Abram. And nothing else.

A/N: I've decided to make this a slightly Abram-bashing chapter. It's fun, actually. So don't feel too bad for Abram – he has it coming. A little Gabriel/Anna will come into play, while Anna and Abram will argue. A lot. This will also probably be the second to last chapter, since I'm planning on ending the story soon.

Also, this is a longer chapter which has a little bit of Gabriel/Anna action – nothing big, just a plot device – and that's not really my strength, so if that part of the story is particularly weak, well, now you know why.

**Chapter Seven**

_Choices Made Difficult_

_About a Year Later..._

Walking with a measured pace through the streets of Vaseria, Anna Valerious, soon to be Anna Valerious Cederion, was preoccupied with the dazzling ring encircling her fourth finger on her left hand. In a fit of romantic spontaneity, Abram had offered it to her a few days ago, and the hopeful look on his face had made her smile and say yes. She had been surprised when _his _face had not immediately popped into her head as she accepted, but she supposed that was something to do with not having seen him in more than a year.

She was on her way to the stables, continuing her search for the perfect mount. Abram was back at the manor, probably sulking somewhere. She sighed. Abram disapproved of her choosing her own horse, but that was not the only thing he frowned on. He deemed her ways wild, and thought that a woman of her standing should wear dresses, never swords. It aggravated her, that a man who could propose to her could not accept her. But she had no other choice. His family was prominent in Transylvania, and she could not afford to alienate them by refusing the latest of their line.

She had tried to make adjustments, to tame her ways, but today, she was not feeling submissive. Her stubborn side was ruling her this morning, and she had waved his comments away with a dismissive gesture, and had continued out the door. Now, as she rounded the corner and entered the stables, she was glad that she had. She glanced down, and avoided the littler of puppies curled up in the hay. As she shifted her gaze up to the rows of stalls, she caught sight of a tall black horse with strange white markings on its head.

Moving closer, she leaned on door to the stall and examined the horse carefully, without touching it. There was a fire in its eyes that warned of a feisty nature. She reached out slowly, trying not to frighten it. Her hand came down lightly on the horse's nose, and it recoiled, snapping at her fingers in a defensive manner.

"He's not too fond of strangers," said a deep voice behind her. It was one she recognized, one she'd dreamt about often, but she didn't even turn, just continued examining her fingers for any injury.

"So I've noticed," she replied, turning to face him.

There was a moment of quiet as each of them assessed the other. While to her, it looked as if nothing had changed, she knew that there was a world of difference between him now, and the person she had left in Paris. And the same was true for her. Eventually, the silence became unbearable, and she shattered it with her voice.

"Why are you here?" she asked quickly, anxious to know.

Gabriel laughed. "I figured you'd want to know. The Cardinal has suffered a sudden surge of interest in our Transylvanian escapade," he explained with a slightly awkward look on his face.

She smiled slightly. She knew as well as he did that their so-called escapade was an uncomfortable subject for the both of them, as was Paris. Which left very little to talk about. However, this time, she couldn't really avoid it.

"What does he want to know?" she asked.

Gabriel waved his hand in an all-encompassing gesture. "Everything, basically. He's most interested in the door to the castle and the tower's contents, but he wants a map of the castle, too." Anna's mouth twisted in distaste.

"You'll need to get in the manor for that. Come stay with us," she offered. Almost as soon as she said it, she knew that it was most probably the wrong choice, but the better access he had to everything, the sooner he could leave. And with any luck, he might not ever find out about the wedding.

He opened his mouth to protest, but she cut him off with a sharp glare. She strode out of the stables, confident that he would follow, and he did. They moved towards the manor, walking leisurely and not speaking.

Anna's eyes remained down, concentrating on the cobblestones beneath her in an effort to minimize any awkward contact. She was jerked from her avoidance of him as she felt his hand close on her left hand. Her heart stopped for a moment, but as they slowed to a halt, and she looked over at him, she saw that he was merely examining the ring on her finger. So much for him never knowing.

"What's this, Anna? You're getting married?" There was a small pause, but she nodded slowly. He was grinning, and all signs pointed to him being happy for her, but she thought she detected hurt behind the smile. "Who's the man?" he continued.

"Abram Cederion," she answered. For a moment, Gabriel seemed confused, and she could almost see him reviewing the prominent Transylvanian families in his head. But it took only seconds for him to realize whom she meant.

"The latest in a fine line, to be sure. Is he up at the manor?" Gabriel asked, and Anna wasn't sure how she should answer. There was something in Gabriel's tone that said it would be better if the two men never met. But Abram lived with her. And for a short time, Gabriel would, too.

"Yes, he is." She watched Gabriel's face, and was troubled by the eager and determined look that flashed through his eyes. She knew it all too well, and it signaled his accepting of some challenge. And just judging from their conversation, the challenge was probably Abram. She frowned inwardly at Gabriel's subtle possessiveness. And yet part of her smiled.

* * *

Gabriel couldn't help it, that feeling of jealousy when he looked at her and knew that she was bound to someone else. When he had let her go in Paris, he hadn't expected her to never look at another man, but he had also never thought that she would be getting married, and so soon, if he wasn't the man who had proposed. 

He let go of her hand and continued walking, mentally shaking himself for being so stupid. He'd told her he couldn't be with her, that he couldn't take her with him. That had been his choice. But seeing her now, well, that made things completely different. And he wasn't too sure his choice remained the same.

They reached the large manor, with Anna leading the way. He followed her up the steps and past the servants in the front. It looked different than it had the last time he'd been here – fancier, cleaner, less abandoned. For some reason, as they passed a large wall covered with paintings of women in fancy gowns, Anna frowned and walked faster. Gabriel paused by the paintings, intrigued, but was called to sharply by Anna as she stalked down the second floor hallway. He climbed the stairs quickly and followed Anna into a large, sunlit room.

In the middle stood a young man with brown hair and, as Gabriel noted with a frown, an authoritative attitude. He was talking to a young servant, and they were discussing a large sheet of paper that had the outline of a building drawn on it. He glanced over at Anna, who was standing to his right with an angry glint in her eyes.

The young man, presumably Abram, turned at the sound of their entrance, and his smile widened as he saw Anna. Gabriel might have been part of the wall, for all he seemed to care.

"Anna!" Abram cried, leaving the servant and crossing the room. "You're back. I didn't hear you come in."

"I told you I wanted those paintings stored, Abram," Anna told him with a bite in her voice that made Gabriel take a half step away. Abram put his hands on her shoulders, and the contained fire in her eyes, so dangerous to those around her, seemed to intensify.

"Come, come, Anna. Those paintings are priceless artifacts, and quite beautiful. I'm sure the wedding guests will appreciate them."

Gabriel laughed under his breath. The art was, in fact, slightly eerie, and he did not think that Romania's fine society would enjoy being watched over by dead women in dusty dresses.

"Abram, I had nightmares about them last night," Anna said fervently. Gabriel couldn't contain his laughter. Abram finally noticed him, and he felt obliged to speak.

"Anna, I'm surprised at you. If Frankenstein didn't kill you, I didn't think women in dresses would." She gave him a withering look that contained a hint of amusement, and he grinned.

"Abram, this is Gabriel Van Helsing," Anna said as she moved towards the sheet of paper Abram had been discussing earlier. "He's the one who killed Dracula."

Abram looked him over, and Gabriel straightened to his full height so that he stood taller than Abram by about two inches. "You're Abram Cederion, yes?" Abram nodded. "Anna hasn't told me much about you."

Gabriel said it in a jovial tone, but there was something underneath designed to make Abram worried. Abram's brow furrowed, as if he were trying to figure something out. Gabriel smiled inwardly. He was not the most tactful of monster hunters, but when it came to this, he was as clever as they came.

He was about to say something else when Anna turned on her heel from the table to fix Abram with a piercing stare.

"Abram, what is this?" she said in a dangerously sweet tone of voice. Abram looked over, and was about to answer when Anna continued. "Plans to knock down and rebuild the north wing of the house?"

Gabriel's face remained impassive, but inside he was ecstatic. If he remembered correctly, the north wing of the house was where her parents had lived, and he knew that Anna intended to leave things just as they were. Making plans to knock that wing down? Without asking? Abram was in for it.

"Yes," came the answer, and Gabriel's inner joy grew as Anna tore the plan in half. She strode to the door, and with a final, venomous glance at Abram, left. Gabriel waited about half a second before following her. He watched as her figure disappeared into a side room, and darted after her. He opened the door quietly to see her standing by the window with her back to him.

He paused a moment, unsure. Her moods were, at best, quick changing, and he wasn't sure if she were angry or sad. Or both.

* * *

Anna heard him open the door and pause. She didn't turn, only continued to watch what she could see through the window.

"Are you all right?" he asked softly. She nodded and stepped to one side, silently inviting him to join her. He was there in a second, standing by her just close enough to feel.

He was there. He was always there.

* * *

Gabriel relished the feel of her next to him for a few seconds before speaking.

"I guess he doesn't know you as well as you thought he did." He knew the words were unwise as soon as they left his mouth.

The expression on her face changed from neutral to exasperated to heartbroken in moments, and he wondered at the pain in her eyes.

* * *

"He doesn't know me," she agreed in a whisper that contained a world of grief. "He doesn't love _me_," she continued is a voice that grew in strength and sorrow. "And I don't love him. God, I want to." _But he's not you,_ she finished wryly in her head. She thought about it for a few seconds, and was surprised to find that the words were wholly true. She sighed inwardly. This was not what she needed right now.

"Then why are you marrying him?" Gabriel asked angrily. She turned away, but he grabbed her shoulder roughly and spun her so she faced him. "Well? Why are you marrying him?"

His harsh voice grated on her ears, but to her it sounded beautifully jealous. Because he _was_ jealous, and it was obvious to anybody watching. And while it was thrilling to part of her, the sensible part that remembered Abram was recoiling in a sort of fascinated horror.

She still didn't answer, and as he grabbed her wrists and pinned them behind her back while twisting her so that she faced away from him, she decided that it may have been better if she had just answered him.

"Does he do this to you?" his voice asked again from somewhere near her ear. She opened her mouth to make a cynical response, but as she felt the bottom of her stomach drop and her heart jump to her throat, she knew what he meant. One of his hands held her wrists together, but the other was currently tracing strange patterns up her arm. She leaned her head away from his in an effort to distance herself, but her plan backfired, of sorts.

The hand that was making its way up her arm traced the pale contours of her neck, slowly moving to graze her cheekbone and skim the dark surface of her hair. She jerked from one side to the other, trying to escape, but he was stronger than she, and she found herself with her back pressed up against a wall, her arms pinned to the wall on either side of her. His face was inches from hers, his eyes a dark grey that warned of anger and of something deeper. She forced herself to hold his gaze, but couldn't once he spoke again, his voice husky yet gentle.

"Does he do anything to you, Anna Valerious?"

She kept her gaze down for a minute, collecting her thoughts and emotions together until she was prepared to answer him.

"No," she said clearly, meeting his eyes with a simple and unclouded gaze.

Gabriel released her and stepped away. The look on his face was proud and triumphant, but as she continued speaking, she could tell he regretted letting her go so easily.

"No, he doesn't do anything like that to me. And I'm marrying him – what does that tell you?" she asked him in a defiant tone.

"It tells me you're settling," he shot back.

"Why do you think that? Why do you think that I would accept a man like Abram if there were someone better?"

He didn't answer for a second, and she could see he was torn, torn between telling the truth and staying safe. She started to walk away, and he made his decision.

"Because," he began, "because the man who'll make you happy is right here." She stopped, one hand resting on the doorframe, the other on the doorknob, and he seemed to take heart. "Because _I'm_ right here."

She turned to face him, a small smile on her face. "Gabriel, listen to me. I loved you. God help me, I still love you. And guess what? I always will. But that doesn't make us right." In a few sentences, she had summed up whatever was between them.

"It makes him wrong," Gabriel countered, and she had to laugh. It was like him to find the weak point in her argument.

"No, Gabriel," she said almost patronizingly. "He stayed. You had your chance. In Paris, you let me go. That was your choice."

The silence between them was painfully drawn out. Her eyes were focused on the floor, and his were focused on her. She stood there, waiting for him to say something, when she realized that he'd said all he could say.

"Gabriel," she said softly, looking up at him, "This is perhaps the worst time to ask you this, but I wanted to know if you'd come to the wedding." He looked confused, and she felt compelled to explain. "You've known a part of me that no one else has. Please come."

He nodded, his eyes never leaving hers, and as she left, she knew that nothing in the world would hurt as much as her heart did then.


	8. Wedding Interrupted

It's Been Years

Disclaimer: I own Abram. And nothing else.

A/N: This is the last chapter, guys. Thanks so much for sticking with me, even when the chapters were really short and/or really bad. This chapter will be the long awaited reunion of Gabriel and Anna (complete with sentimentality, melodrama, and sappiness), with lots of "subtle" Abram-bashing. Oops. I shouldn't have told you that. But you probably figured it out already. Mostly Anna's POV, but I'll try to switch it up a little.

**Important**: I don't like to include A/Ns in the middle of a story, so I'll just tell you now. The description of the wedding dress may well be a little confusing. To get the general idea for the sleeves and the belt, go to: http/tolkiensarda.se/old/faq17-filer/eowyn.jpg. The sleeves are a little different, but you get the idea.Oh, and just to refresh your memory, I've included a short snippet of what occurred in the previous chapter.

**Chapter Eight**

_Wedding Interrupted_

_"__Why do you think that? Why do you think that I would accept a man like Abram if there were someone better?"_

_"Because," he said firmly. "Because the man who'll make you happy is right here." She stopped, one hand resting on the doorframe, the other on the doorknob, and he seemed to take heart. "Because I'm right here."_

_She turned to face him, a small smile on her face. "Gabriel, listen to me. I loved you. God help me, I still love you. And guess what? I always will. But that doesn't make us right." In a few sentences, she had summed up whatever was between them._

_"It makes him wrong," Gabriel countered, and she had to laugh. It was like him to find the weak point in her argument._

_"No, Gabriel," she said almost patronizingly. "He stayed. You had your chance. In Paris, you let me go. That was your choice."_

_The silence between them was painfully drawn out. Her eyes were focused on the floor, and his were focused on her. She stood there, waiting for him to say something, when she realized that he'd said all he could say._

_"Gabriel," she said softly, looking up at him, "This is perhaps the worst time to ask you this, but I wanted to know if you'd come to the wedding." He looked confused, and she felt compelled to explain. "You've known a part of me that no one else has. Please come."_

_He nodded, his eyes never leaving hers, and as she left, she knew that nothing in the world would hurt as much as her heart did then.  
_

* * *

Anna stood in front of the mirror, eyes shut tightly to block out the sight in front of her. She was wearing a long white gown that was, according to Abram, the perfect wedding dress. The sleeves clung tightly to her arms until they reached just above her elbows, where a thin silver band held them. After that, they became the flowing, loose kind she preferred, with a long slit up one side. The bodice was tight, designed to be worn over a corset. Abram had insisted on it, telling her that she had to bow to some sort of tradition. A silver belt circled her waist, the tails hanging almost hanging to her ankles. She had looked at herself for a grand total of about three seconds before shutting her eyes, and was feeling a little stupid standing on a dais in front of a mirror with her eyes shut rightly.

She opened her eyes quickly, only to snap them shut again. She wasn't sure which was worse – imagining herself in the dress or actually looking at it. Because, in the back of her mind, she knew that the deciding factor in choosing this dress had been the fact that Gabriel had liked it when he had seen it on the hanger.

An exasperated growl escaped her throat. She turned away from the mirror and moved to the side table across the room. Strewn across the mahogany surface were multitudes of jewelry, all bought for her by Abram in an attempt to buy her forgiveness after she had discovered the building plans. As it happened, it had been the incident with Gabriel that had forced her to reconcile with Abram, not the priceless necklaces and bracelets.

Someone outside knocked on the door, and she absently told whoever it was to come in, still preoccupied with choosing a necklace to go with the dress. She heard heavy footsteps cross the room, but didn't look up, and was therefore surprised when a man's hand reached around from behind her and plucked the necklace she was looking at from her hands.

She turned around quickly, expecting Abram to be there, but instead Gabriel stood about a foot away from her, examining the pearl and diamond necklace he had picked up.

"Not really your style, Anna," he remarked nonchalantly. She sighed.

"A gift from Abram," she explained. "He wants me to wear one of these on the wedding day." Gabriel seemed to suddenly notice her dress, and she found herself being looked over by his dark grey eyes. He didn't say anything, but the wistful look in his eyes spoke volumes.

"So," she asked him, "is there something you needed?"

He nodded, placing the necklace back on the table and taking a slight step away from her. "I've got all the things I need for the Cardinal. The tower inventory could use some work. I'm no Carl, but I tried to organize it a little for you." She smiled a little, hoping fervently that he had nothing else to say. She was trying to hate him, for Abram's sake and for her own, but she was finding it hard.

"I'll leave the day after the wedding. Speaking of which, I have something for you," he said softly, his voice uncertain. "I thought, you know, since you're getting married tomorrow, you might use this." He started to say something else but stopped, closing his mouth quickly. He handed her a blue velvet box that she had failed to notice since he entered.

Carefully, she opened the box. Inside was a simple silver chain, on which hung a small, silver, circular pendant with tiny diamonds ringing the edge. Her eyes widened. It was exactly the kind of necklace she would have chosen for herself. She looked up at him, her smile sad, and started to talk, but he cut her off.

"Look, Anna, I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry for everything I've done to you. I want you to be happy, and if marrying Abram will make you happy, then I want you to marry him with no doubts." There was slight pause before he continued. "I'll always be your friend, Anna. Nothing can change that."

She took two steps forward and hugged him, arms wrapped around his neck, and one hand still clutching the box and necklace. If she hadn't known better, she would have sworn that she heard his breath hitch. She felt his arms encircle her, and her eyes fluttered closed and she felt the bottom of her stomach drop thousands of feet. It lasted only for a few moments, but as they pulled away, Anna knew that being friends with Gabriel was not going to be easy. She took a half step back and returned his lopsided grin.

"Nice dress," he commented offhandedly as he made his way out of the room, leaving a speechless Anna in his wake.

* * *

Gabriel strode quickly down the long corridor that was the main hallway on the second floor. He had just seen Anna in her wedding dress and couldn't help but feel jealous of the man who had stolen Anna from him. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became. He had loved Anna Valerious for about five years, and Abram Cederion had only known her for one. It just wasn't fair.

But then again, the sensible part of him countered, he had missed his chance. He had said no to the love of his life. Gabriel shook himself. Enough melodrama. He would find someone else. He would be perfectly fine without Anna. He wouldn't miss her at all.

He opened the door to his room and slammed it shut, breathing deeply in an attempt to calm himself. Who was he kidding? There would be no getting over Anna.

For him, it was the decision of a moment for him to decide to skip the wedding. He had meant it when he told her he wanted her to be happy, and the only way to make sure that the wedding would go through without a problem was to stay away. If he went, there was no telling what he would do.

Besides, she would be too caught up in everything to notice his absence. He would wait in the terrace garden until everything was over, and then he would be gone.

* * *

Anna stood in front of the mirror once more, this time in the company of two maids and Abram's sister Mara. She wore the dress already, and was in the process of fastening Gabriel's gift around her neck. Her hair was pulled up away from her face, black waves forming a loose twist held up by pins, each set with a crystal. As she finished putting on the necklace, Anna sighed lightly. Everything looked perfect. And when things looked perfect, they usually weren't.

She waved the maids and Mara away with a dismissive gesture, telling them she'd be down in time for the ceremony. As the door shut behind them, she stepped down of the dais and sat down on it, her chin resting on her hand as she went through the day in her head. She would go down the stairs, wait to enter the church until Mara entered. She would walk up the aisle alone, and when she reached Gabriel…

Anna stood up suddenly and shook her head, trying to get rid of the image that had settled itself in her mind. She was marrying Abram, not Gabriel. Abram had proposed, Abram had stayed with her, Abram had decided to marry her even though he thought her less than ladylike.

The silence that filled the room was deafening to her as she stood there thinking. She toyed with her necklace briefly, fingering the pendant with a pensive look on her face. She finally turned to face her reflection and broke the silence.

"I've made my decision. I'm sorry," she said sadly, and it was unclear whom she was apologizing to.

* * *

Gabriel sat on one of the various stone walls that snaked through the terrace garden. The view from the garden, placed on the east side of the house to get good sunlight, was nothing amazing – simply the village of Vaseria and the people who lived in it. Today was, however, a day when the view was made spectacular by the presence of sunlight. Without the usual grey cloud cover, Gabriel could see the snow capped mountains to the North, the lakes and rivers to the south, and the forests that encroached on the village right in front of him.

The view was momentarily lost on him, however, as he heard the church bells begin to ring, meaning that Anna's wedding was beginning below him. He sighed and got up from his seat, and began pacing along the paths that wound through the flowers and bushes.

He waited for the cheers to come, dulled by the space between himself and the church. But as he looked up and saw a figure in white walking down the hall that led to the garden, he knew his wait was in vain.

* * *

Anna strode down the corridor, eyes focused on the man dressed in somber colors standing in the middle of the garden, watching her. She had made her choice – to be sure, it was a different one than she had expected, but the right one.

She entered the garden carefully, not looking at him, but rather at the flowers and the view.

"Why aren't you at your wedding?" he asked in a gruff voice. She flinched, not expecting him to speak. It was a question she didn't want to answer, but she knew she had to.

"I'm not getting married," she said in an attempt to avoid telling the truth.

He frowned. "Yes, I can see that. I want to know why."

She reached up to play with her necklace, a nervous habit developed as a child – only, then, she had been playing with a cross, not a silver and diamond pendant.

"Why?" she repeated, a slight edge forming in her voice. "Well, that's a good question. See, I'm not sure why. I thought maybe you could tell me." She was turning the question back to him, something she always did when she was trying to avoid something.

He laughed at her, a wry smile on his face. "You chose to come here. I can't tell you anything about your reasons."

"Ah, but that's where you're wrong," she countered. "You can. I was standing there in my room getting ready to go downstairs, and you kept popping into my head. I had to remind myself that I was marrying Abram. You tell me how that's not your fault."

For a few seconds, he looked surprised, but it returned to impassiveness quickly. "I'm sorry, Anna. I didn't mean to make you not marry Abram. I told you I wanted you to be happy."

"That's just it," she said plaintively. "I was happy. I was fine, and I hadn't thought about you in a year when you came back into Vaseria and ruined everything." She was angry now, and took a few steps toward him, a glint in her eyes that spoke of something dangerous. "You made me doubt my happiness. Why did you have to come?" She was near tears now, and her hand swung back to slap him.

* * *

Gabriel grabbed her wrist, keeping her hand from meeting his face painfully. She tried to hit him with her free fist, but he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her into a hug, allowing her to cry into his shirt. He smiled slightly as he felt her arms wrap themselves around his neck.

This was his chance. He wasn't going to let her go again.

* * *

She was completely embarrassed. She had never been so humiliated – sobbing in his arms, when she had been trying to hit him? Not her original plan. She pulled away, wiping tears off her cheeks rapidly, trying to save some grace.

"Anna?" he asked quietly. She didn't answer, but smoothed the wrinkles from her skirt. Soon, though, she ran out of things to fix and was forced to look up at him.

"What?" she answered, resignation in her voice.

He put his hands on her shoulders. "Why aren't you getting married?"

"I told you I would always love you. And I told you that I didn't love Abram. Both remain true. But," she said quickly, stifling any comments he was about to make, "I also said that it didn't make us right. But marrying Abram – that's not right either. She took a deep breath, gathering her courage. She would need it. "My father always said people deserved second chances. I've never been good at giving them, but I'm trying. And I'd like to start with you."

* * *

Gabriel's shock rendered him speechless. He had expected to have to make a huge, long speech about why she should give him a chance for redemption. Instead, here she was, offering it to him.

At his lack of response, she had looked down at the ground, clearly nervous and worried that she had done the wrong thing. He placed a finger under her chin and raised her head so that she was looking up at him. He grinned down at her, and she returned the gesture, eyes sparkling with an inner joy he'd not seen in her for a long time. He bent his head, and after five years, his lips met hers once again.

Second chances like this came once in a lifetime.

_**fin**_


End file.
